Defence
Britain and Jordan enjoy a healthy defence relationship, which is based upon many famous historical links. Following the First World War, the Great Arab Revolt and the activities of TE Lawrence (of Arabia), the UK had a major influence on the establishment and modernisation of the Jordan Armed Forces.
At the inception of Transjordan in 1921, an additional force was required to support the police. A reserve Arab force was organised by Captain F G Peake, a British Officer known to the Arabs as Peake Pasha. In 1923 the police and the reserve force were combined into the Arab Legion as a regular army under Peake's command.
In 1930/1, with British help, Jordan launched a campaign to stamp out tribal raiding among the bedouin. A British Officer, John Bagot Glubb (better known as Glubb Pasha), came from Iraq to be second in command of the Arab Legion. Glubb organised a highly effective bedouin desert patrol consisting of mobile detachments based at strategic forts and equipped with good communication facilities. When Peake retired in 1939, Glubb succeeded to full command of the Arab Legion. He served until 1956, by which time he had attained the rank of Lieutenant General.
Early in 2004, HM King Abdullah paid his first visit back to the Light Dragoons as Colonel in Chief.
There are also close links between the British Household Cavalry Regiment and the Jordanian Royal Guard Brigade, the British Parachute Regiment and the Jordan Armed Forces Special Operations Command, and No 6 Squadron of the British Royal Air Force and No 6 Squadron of the Royal Jordanian Air Force.
UK DEFENCE ACTIVITIES IN JORDAN
In addition to this Britain regularly provides short term training teams and advisory visits to assist the Jordanian Armed Forces.
SOFEX 2006
The United Kingdom has traditionally been enthusiastically represented at SOFEX; this year was no exception.
The official delegation was led by Air Vice Marshal Gavin Mackay, Senior Military Officer, who handles all defence matters within the Defence Export Sales Organisation (DESO) and for the promotion of British defence equipment overseas.
The British Exhibit, located in Hall 1, was under the auspices of the UK Defence Manufacturers Association and Ministry of Defence Export Services Organisation DESO, who have co-ordinated the UK’s presence at SOFEX. In addition, in the UK pavilionthe British Army Demonstration Team carried out demonstrations using equipment from over 30 British companies.
A significant number of UK companies were represented at SOFEX this year including BAE Systems, the leading defence company in the UK and the fourth largest in the world.
The presence of senior officials from the UK government, UK companies and the British Army Demonstration Team reflects the UK’s firm commitment to this major international exhibition. It also reflects the very warm relationship between Jordan and the United Kingdom.
British companies continue to be at the forefront of technological innovation and their international success demonstrates their ability to supply highly capable equipment at competitive prices. The UK has won an average of £5 billion of international defence equipment orders each year for the past five years, making it the world’s second largest defence equipment supplier after the United States.
The UK also has considerable expertise to offer in defence-support services, including such activities as aircraft repair and maintenance, logistics support, flying training, storage and distribution, and base management as well as considerable experience of Private Finance Initiatives and other innovative approaches.
BRITISH MILITARY VISITS TO JORDAN
Twelve members from the Royal College of Defence Studies visited Jordan between 24 September and 1 October 2006 as part of the College’s annual Middle East Regional Tour. They were granted an audience with HM King Abdullah II, and were also briefed by various headquarters of the Jordan Armed Forces, several government ministers and business representatives. The visit enabled them to have a fully informed view of the situation in the region, before returning to the UK to finish their course.
The British defence commitment to Jordan is underlined by the number of senior visitors that come. In the past 12 months alone, the Chief of the General Staff, the Commander of the British Forces in Cyprus, the Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Policy) have all visited Jordan.
In January 2006, HMS Bulwark became the first military warship to berth at the new Royal Jordanian Naval Base in Aqaba. This was followed by HMS Sutherland in October 2006.
There was also the visit by the Royal Air Force Red Arrows Aerobatic display team for the first time to the First Aqaba Airshow. This was a show with a difference for the team, as the show could also be seen from Israel as well as Jordan. This will be repeated again in 2007 when the team display in Aqaba in November of 2007.
JORDAN ARMED FORCES TRAINING IN THE UK
The UK funds the training of many personnel from the Jordan Armed Forces. In a typical twelve month period some 70 officers and soldiers will train in the UK in a variety of courses including the course at the Royal College of Defence Studies, the Royal Navy Young Officers Course, the Commissioning Course at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, the Royal Air Force Junior Officers Command Course, the Platoon Commanders Battle Course, Military English Language Training, Counter Terrorism Bomb Disposal, the Advanced Command and Staff Course, and the Peace Support Operations Briefing Programme.
Several Officers also serve on short or long term attachments or exchanges with the British Armed Forces.
LINKS
For more information about the British military, its world-wide activities and structure please visit our various websites at:
The Ministry of Defence
The Royal Navy
The British Army
The Royal Air Force
For more information about the Jordan Armed Forces, you can visit the following websites…
Please note that these websites are maintained by the Jordan Armed Forces
Jordan Armed Forces
Royal Jordanian Airforce
For more information on the Arab Legion and the history of the fore-runners of the Jordan Armed Forces, visit the website at:
The Arab Legion
Please note that this website is privately maintained. The UK MOD is not responsible for its contents or reliability and does not necessarily endorse the views expressed in it. Listing should not be taken as endorsement of any kind. We cannot guarantee the link will work all of the time and have no control over the availability of the site.
At the inception of Transjordan in 1921, an additional force was required to support the police. A reserve Arab force was organised by Captain F G Peake, a British Officer known to the Arabs as Peake Pasha. In 1923 the police and the reserve force were combined into the Arab Legion as a regular army under Peake's command.
In 1930/1, with British help, Jordan launched a campaign to stamp out tribal raiding among the bedouin. A British Officer, John Bagot Glubb (better known as Glubb Pasha), came from Iraq to be second in command of the Arab Legion. Glubb organised a highly effective bedouin desert patrol consisting of mobile detachments based at strategic forts and equipped with good communication facilities. When Peake retired in 1939, Glubb succeeded to full command of the Arab Legion. He served until 1956, by which time he had attained the rank of Lieutenant General.
Early in 2004, HM King Abdullah paid his first visit back to the Light Dragoons as Colonel in Chief.
There are also close links between the British Household Cavalry Regiment and the Jordanian Royal Guard Brigade, the British Parachute Regiment and the Jordan Armed Forces Special Operations Command, and No 6 Squadron of the British Royal Air Force and No 6 Squadron of the Royal Jordanian Air Force.
UK DEFENCE ACTIVITIES IN JORDAN
In addition to this Britain regularly provides short term training teams and advisory visits to assist the Jordanian Armed Forces.
SOFEX 2006
The United Kingdom has traditionally been enthusiastically represented at SOFEX; this year was no exception.
The official delegation was led by Air Vice Marshal Gavin Mackay, Senior Military Officer, who handles all defence matters within the Defence Export Sales Organisation (DESO) and for the promotion of British defence equipment overseas.
The British Exhibit, located in Hall 1, was under the auspices of the UK Defence Manufacturers Association and Ministry of Defence Export Services Organisation DESO, who have co-ordinated the UK’s presence at SOFEX. In addition, in the UK pavilionthe British Army Demonstration Team carried out demonstrations using equipment from over 30 British companies.
A significant number of UK companies were represented at SOFEX this year including BAE Systems, the leading defence company in the UK and the fourth largest in the world.
The presence of senior officials from the UK government, UK companies and the British Army Demonstration Team reflects the UK’s firm commitment to this major international exhibition. It also reflects the very warm relationship between Jordan and the United Kingdom.
British companies continue to be at the forefront of technological innovation and their international success demonstrates their ability to supply highly capable equipment at competitive prices. The UK has won an average of £5 billion of international defence equipment orders each year for the past five years, making it the world’s second largest defence equipment supplier after the United States.
The UK also has considerable expertise to offer in defence-support services, including such activities as aircraft repair and maintenance, logistics support, flying training, storage and distribution, and base management as well as considerable experience of Private Finance Initiatives and other innovative approaches.
BRITISH MILITARY VISITS TO JORDAN
Twelve members from the Royal College of Defence Studies visited Jordan between 24 September and 1 October 2006 as part of the College’s annual Middle East Regional Tour. They were granted an audience with HM King Abdullah II, and were also briefed by various headquarters of the Jordan Armed Forces, several government ministers and business representatives. The visit enabled them to have a fully informed view of the situation in the region, before returning to the UK to finish their course.
The British defence commitment to Jordan is underlined by the number of senior visitors that come. In the past 12 months alone, the Chief of the General Staff, the Commander of the British Forces in Cyprus, the Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Policy) have all visited Jordan.
In January 2006, HMS Bulwark became the first military warship to berth at the new Royal Jordanian Naval Base in Aqaba. This was followed by HMS Sutherland in October 2006.
There was also the visit by the Royal Air Force Red Arrows Aerobatic display team for the first time to the First Aqaba Airshow. This was a show with a difference for the team, as the show could also be seen from Israel as well as Jordan. This will be repeated again in 2007 when the team display in Aqaba in November of 2007.
JORDAN ARMED FORCES TRAINING IN THE UK
The UK funds the training of many personnel from the Jordan Armed Forces. In a typical twelve month period some 70 officers and soldiers will train in the UK in a variety of courses including the course at the Royal College of Defence Studies, the Royal Navy Young Officers Course, the Commissioning Course at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, the Royal Air Force Junior Officers Command Course, the Platoon Commanders Battle Course, Military English Language Training, Counter Terrorism Bomb Disposal, the Advanced Command and Staff Course, and the Peace Support Operations Briefing Programme.
Several Officers also serve on short or long term attachments or exchanges with the British Armed Forces.
LINKS
For more information about the British military, its world-wide activities and structure please visit our various websites at:
The Ministry of Defence
The Royal Navy
The British Army
The Royal Air Force
For more information about the Jordan Armed Forces, you can visit the following websites…
Please note that these websites are maintained by the Jordan Armed Forces
Jordan Armed Forces
Royal Jordanian Airforce
For more information on the Arab Legion and the history of the fore-runners of the Jordan Armed Forces, visit the website at:
The Arab Legion
Please note that this website is privately maintained. The UK MOD is not responsible for its contents or reliability and does not necessarily endorse the views expressed in it. Listing should not be taken as endorsement of any kind. We cannot guarantee the link will work all of the time and have no control over the availability of the site.
Defence section
Defence, Naval & Military Attaché
Colonel Chris Rider
Air Attaché
Wing Commander Lester Pearce
Tel: Tel: (962 6) 590 9212
